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Questions about Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942)

Short answers, pulled from the story.

How long did the Siege of Sevastopol last in World War II?

The Siege of Sevastopol lasted 250 days, beginning with the initial Axis approach in autumn 1941 and ending with the fall of the city on the 4th of July 1942. The final assault operation, codenamed Störfang, began on the 2nd of June 1942 and lasted roughly one month.

What were total casualties at the Siege of Sevastopol?

Soviet forces suffered 200,481 total casualties including both the Separate Coastal Army and the Black Sea Fleet over the full siege, with Soviet records showing 156,800 irrecoverable losses killed and captured between the 30th of December 1941 and the 9th of July 1942. Axis total losses numbered approximately 70,000, including around 25,000 German troops killed in action.

Who commanded the German forces at the Siege of Sevastopol?

Generaloberst Erich von Manstein commanded the German 11th Army throughout the siege, having taken command on the 17th of September 1941. Air operations were led by Generaloberst Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen commanding the 8th Air Corps until he was transferred to support Operation Blue in June 1942.

What role did the Luftwaffe play in the Siege of Sevastopol?

The Luftwaffe's 8th Air Corps flew 23,751 sorties and dropped 20,528 tons of bombs in June 1942 alone, the most concentrated German aerial bombing campaign of the war to that point, surpassing the earlier bombings of Warsaw, Rotterdam, and London. The Luftwaffe also interdicted Soviet naval supply convoys and provided close air support for each phase of the ground assault.

Why was Sevastopol strategically important to both Germany and the Soviet Union?

Sevastopol was the primary base of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and a major airbase from which Soviet aircraft had been striking Romanian oil refineries, destroying 12,000 tons of oil in the first month of the invasion. Hitler described Crimea as an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" and ordered its capture in Directive 33, dated the 23rd of July 1941, as vital to protecting Romanian oil supplies essential to the German war effort.

What super-heavy artillery was used in the Siege of Sevastopol?

The Axis deployed three 600mm Karl-Gerät self-propelled mortars named Thor, Odin, and a third unnamed weapon, along with one 800mm gun called Schwerer Gustav, which fired seven-ton shells. Only 201 rounds of 600mm and 48 rounds of 800mm ammunition were available; most were expended before the infantry assault began with limited effect, as the single notable success was a Karl-Gerät shell that knocked out one turret of Fort Maxim Gorky.